subject: Information About Bloodsucking Bed Bugs [print this page] Bed Bugs tend to be little, oblong, nonflying bugs which belong to the insect family Cimicidae, which contains 3 types which bite humans. Grownup bed bugs are rusty colored and can achieve 5-7 millimeters in length, while nymphs (juveniles) happen to be clear in color and can be no more than 1.5 millimeters. These blood sucking pests have flat bodies and may occasionally be mistaken for ticks or small roaches. These bugs nourish themselves by suctioning blood from people or animals. But, these small blood suckers can survive for months while not eating and, consequently, are found where there aren't any warm-blooded animals.
These pesky night crawling bloodsuckers were prevalent throughout The US prior to the Second World War and became rare after widespread use of the insecticide DDT began in the 1940s and 1950s. They continued to be commonplace in other areas of the world and, recently, have been more and more seen again within The U.S. Increases in immigration as well as travel from third world countries in addition to limits on the use of stronger, non-environmentally safe inorganic sprays, may be reasons which may have resulted in the fairly current surge in Bed Bug infestations.
These bloodsuckers are able to live in any area of your house and will reside in small splits in furniture as well as on textiles and upholstered furnishings. The bugs usually are most typical around places where individuals slumber and in most cases concentrate around beds, including mattresses, box springs, and bed frames. Other places where these insects generally reside include things like curtains, the corners inside dressers and other furniture, splits in wall coverings (particularly around the bed), and within the spaces of rattan furnishings. These biting insects can be found in unsanitary conditions and also in clean conditions. Even so, crowded living quarters helps multiplication of the bugs.
How are bed bugs spread?
Bedbugs live in any articles of furniture, clothes, or bed linens, so they or their eggs could be contained in used furnishings or garments. They get around by crawling and can contaminate numerous locations in the house or even multiple single apartments within apartment buildings. The insects may also be present in boxes, suitcases, or other goods which have been moved from residence to residence or from a motel to the home. They can easily stay in clothing from infested homes and may end up being spread by a person unknowingly being dressed in infested clothes.
What are the indications of bedbug bites and how are bed bug bites treated ?
These bugs bite and pull blood from humans as well as animals. They're very active through the night and bite just about any uncovered areas of skin when a person is sleeping. The bite is pain-free and might not be observed until you see the little, flat, or raised lump, on the skin. The common signs are usually redness, inflammation as well as itching. When scratched, the bite areas may become infected. This is actually the only real threat from a bed bug bite. As an aside, a peculiarity of these bites is the tendency to discover many bites lined up in a row. Infectious disease specialists make reference to this as the "breakfast, lunch, and dinner" sign indicating the sequential feeding which occurs from place to place. These bites could remain undetected or perhaps be wrongly diagnosed for flea or mosquito bites or other types of skin conditions. Bedbugs also have glands whose secretions may leave odors, plus they may also leave dark fecal spots upon linens and around their hiding places (inside cracks or protected places about the bed or even anywhere in the area.
Generally, absolutely no treatment methods are necessary with regard to these bites. If itchiness is very severe, steroid ointments or oral antihistamines may be used for relief of symptoms. Secondary bacterial infections may develop over heavily scratched places, might require the use of anti-biotics.
How can I tell if I have a bedbug infestation?
You can look and see if you can identify the fecal stains, egg cases, as well as exuviae (shed skins) in crevices and cracks upon or near beds. It's also wise to examine additional areas like under wall coverings, under picture frames, in couches along with other furnishings, in boxsprings and beneath mattresses, as well as in clothes. While fecal stains and skin casts suggest that bedbugs are found, these do not confirm that the infestation is still active. Seeing the actual bugs themselves is definite proof that your house is infested. You may need professional assistance from your pest-control company in making certain that your residence contains bedbugs.
How do I rid my home of bedbugs?
Doing away with these bugs is not a simple procedure, and it also typically calls for treatment with a pest-control expert. A variety of low-odor sprays, dusts, and aerosol pesticides can be used to remove them. These insecticides need to be applied to every area where the insects are seen plus in places where they may crawl or hide. The pest-control company will help you determine whether the bed mattress can be disinfected or must be discarded. Because beds cannot readily be treated with pesticides, it is frequently necessary to discard infested mattresses and beds.
The pest-control expert may suggest certain forms of deep-cleaning like scrubbing infested areas by using a rigid brush to remove eggs, dismantling beds and furnishings, filling up cracks in floors, walls, and moldings, encasing mattresses within special bags, or using a powerful vacuum upon cracks and crevices.
The best method to keep from being bitten by these kind of nasty little creatures is the avoidance of bug infested places But, if you cannot stay away, identification of the infestation as well as proper treatment of impacted rooms (usually with the aid of a pest-control specialist) is the most effective way to prevent bed bugs in the home.
